Bhubaneswar: Rohit Sharma’s brilliant form with the bat has been one of the main reasons for which India have sealed a spot in the World Cup semifinals with a match in hand. Rohit has already hit four centuries – his sequence of scores reads – 122 (South Africa), 57 (Australia), 140 (Pakistan), 1 (Afghanistan), 18 (West Indies), 102 (England) and 104 (Bangladesh).
Rohit’s knock against Bangladesh saw him jump to the No.1 spot in the list of top run-getters. Rohit has now 544 runs from seven games, two more than Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (542). The record for most runs in a World cup belongs to Sachin Tendulkar (673), but the form in which Rohit is batting there is every possibility that record may cease to exist.
Rohit’s coach Dinesh Lad is happy with his student’s form but also unhappy at the way Rohit has thrown his wicket away in the last two games after reaching his century against England and Australia.
‘Wrong shot selection led to his dismissal in the last two games. Rohit should play judiciously after reaching his hundred. He has the shots to easily get a double hundred,” Lad has been quoted as saying by a vernacular daily.
The coach also has described how he once slapped Rohit for throwing his wicket away. “Rohit was then playing for Vivekananda International School. He threw his wicket away after settling down and his school lost the game. Usually, I don’t strike my students, but that day I couldn’t keep my cool and slapped him hard,” Lad has said.
The coach attributes Rohit’s recent form to hard work and the influence of Sachin Tendulkar. “The period 2009 to 2011 was not good for Rohit. He did not find a place in the Indian World Cup team and that affected him tremendously,” Lad said. “It was then I told him to work hard and concentrate on cricket because the game also gives you back a lot. He did toil very hard and the results are there for everyone to see,” the coach added.
Referring to the Tendulkar influence, Lad pointed out that Rohit joining the Mumbai Indians team was a blessing in disguise. “Rohit had always idolised Sachin. So when they started sharing the same dressing room on a regular basis and interacting frequently it helped Rohit a lot. Sachin’s advice has worked wonders for Rohit.
PNN & Agencies